


Sentences Sit In My Mouth

by thesoundofnat



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bad Flirting, Confessions, Kissing, M/M, Pre-Slash, Tony is bad at this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 03:39:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13872336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesoundofnat/pseuds/thesoundofnat
Summary: Tony was most definitelynotflirting with him. Not for a lack of trying, but it turned out that Tony Stark was unable to form coherent sentences around that man. Because of course he was.





	Sentences Sit In My Mouth

Tony didn’t do it on purpose, and it was only once he’d been called out on it by Nat - who asked him to stop or she’d be forced to disown him - that he became aware of it.

“I flirt with people?”

“Relentlessly and, I must admit, effortlessly.”

“Huh.”

She’d tilted her head. “You really didn’t know you were doing it?”

“I guess it’s like some sort of second nature at this point.” But it made  _sense_. All his life he’d been taught that charming people was the best way to get them to trust you, and somewhere along the way he must’ve upped the charm slightly too much and was now a walking flirt. He reckoned it wasn’t necessarily a  _bad_ thing, but if Nat found it uncomfortable enough to acknowledge it he was sure more of his teammates wished he would stop.

But stopping proved to be harder than anticipated.

“You’re doing it again,” Natasha said one day, her voice laced with amusement when he winced.

“I don’t mean to.”

“I know, but you’re gonna have to try harder or I will be forced to use drastic measures.”

He didn’t even want to know what those were. “Have some patience, will you?”

“I’ve had patience for years, Stark. It’s running thin.”

So maybe Tony avoided Nat for the rest of the week just in case, but could anyone blame him? He figured he’d be safer to practice his communication skills with people who wouldn’t kill him, even though they probably could.

Thor visibly enjoyed their interactions, though it might’ve been because he enjoyed the friendly familiarity. Bruce could be both nervous and relaxed, depending on what day Tony caught him and what they were doing. Clint was unamused. And Steve? Well.

Tony was most definitely  _not_ flirting with him. Not for a lack of trying, but it turned out that Tony Stark was unable to form coherent sentences around that man. Because of course he was.

To be fair, it was mostly when they were having conversations that weren’t about anything work related, and for months it hadn’t been a common thing. Recently, however, what with them becoming closer and almost calling the other a friend, Tony realized that his little problem was becoming more and more obvious. That was a problem all in itself.

“Hand me that, will you?”

Bruce crossed the short distance between one lab table to the other to give Tony a wrench, and Tony shot him a smile in return, eyelashes fluttering. Bruce was used to this, but still turned away way too quickly for Tony to not think it had an effect on him.

“Wait, shit, I did it again.”

Bruce breathed out a laugh. “It’s all right, Tony. I understand that it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Hey, I’d totally date you.”

“But I wouldn’t date you.”

“Rude.”

“Sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry, but Tony was too wrapped up in his current project to pretend to be hurt.

He waved a hand in Bruce’s direction. “Maybe it’s for the best. Imagine if we had to work in the lab or fight a villain while we were fighting ourselves.”

Bruce snorted. “I don’t think that would be a sufficient reason to not pursue something. If we were both willing, that is.”

“Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Don’t stand in the way of your own happiness for silly reasons. I guess.”

Tony turned toward him, eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to give me love advice?”

“I’m cringing as much as you are.”

Tony knew he would regret asking, but he did it anyway. “Any particular reason for this sudden interest in my potential love life?”

Bruce was uncomfortable, but his smile still made Tony feel exposed. “No reason.”

“Stop lying.”

“You’re not gonna like my reply.”

“Try me.”

Bruce grabbed a rag and fiddled with it. “Because of Steve.”

Tony blinked. “Steve.”

“Yes.”

And the problem was growing.

“What about Steve?”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “You know I’m not stupid, right?”

“I never said you were. I of all people know that.”

“So you must be aware that certain things are… quite apparent.”

“Oh god.” Tony found no point in denying it. “Are they apparent enough for him to-”

“I don’t know. He’s harder to read for me since I’ve practically never been in a room alone with him.”

Tony exhaled slowly. “That makes sense.” He turned back to his desk. “Should we go back to work?”

“Might as well.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the room for the brief moment it took them to become absorbed in their work, and that was that.

* * *

 

Tony was now ten times more aware of the fact that people could see right through him, and it was all his own fault. Or possibly Steve’s. He had to blame  _someone_ for what was happening to him, okay?

“Well don’t you look stunning- wait, shit, sorry, don’t kill me.”

Natasha shot him a death glare, but decided to spare his life this time. “Couldn’t even last a week.”

“I’m trying, Romanoff.”

“Try harder.”

“Try what?” Tony hadn’t even heard Steve enter the kitchen.

“Nothing,” Tony replied quickly just as Nat said, “To stop flirting with everything with a pulse.”

Steve frowned. “Tony flirts?”

“You have no idea.”

“I’ve never noticed. Or, well, at least not when he speaks to me.”

“I do it automatically,” Tony explained, already feeling like a fool. “It doesn’t mean anything. I don’t wanna date Nat. No offense.”

“None taken. But who  _do_ you want to date then? Since apparently none of the people you actually flirt with interest you.” She was doing this on purpose.

Tony set his jaw. “None of your business, Romanoff.”

“Hey, we’re practically on second base at this point, if your flirting is any indication. Let’s not get unfamiliar now.”

Steve was visibly interested, but didn’t make a move to push Tony like Nat was. Tony appreciated it more than he probably knew.

Tony glanced at his clock. “And this is my cue to leave.”

Nat was smirking. “Don’t get shy on me now.”

“Goodbye, Natasha.”

He hadn’t expected Steve to follow him out into the hallway and into the lounge area.

“Weren’t you gonna get breakfast or something?”

“I’m more concerned about you right now,” Steve admitted. “You okay? You ran off so suddenly.”

Tony ran a hand over his face. “Nat was- how do I say this without sounding lame?”

“Embarrassing you?”

“Something like that. My fight or flight senses kick in when I’m put on the spot like that.” He wasn’t sure why he was being so honest with him.

Steve’s smile was gentle. “You make it sound like there actually is someone you want to date.”

Tony refused to give Steve’s statement a proper reply. “She thinks I’ve been single for too long. It’s been years since Pepper and I broke up, after all. What she doesn’t realize is how many years I was without a partner before Pepper came into the picture.”

“Maybe she just wants to make sure you’re not lonely.”

Tony shook his head. “It’s funny, because Bruce tried to give me love advice last night. Why they all suddenly care is beyond me.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “Bruce tried to give you love advice?”

“I’m as shocked as you are.”

“Okay, now I really feel as if I’ve missed something crucial.”

“You haven’t missed a thing, Steve, don’t worry. I think they’re just using my constant flirting as a reason to butt in.”

“That I haven’t noticed you flirting should be worrying.”

The fact that Tony had been able to have a normal conversation with him up until this point was a miracle, so Tony shouldn’t have been so surprised over how his next sentence barely made sense.

“I’m not- I mean you aren’t- I mean-” He cut himself off with a frustrated sigh. “Oh my god, forget it.”

The corners of Steve’s mouth twitched upward. “What was that?”

“I have no idea.”

“It was kind of endearing.”

“You did not just call me that.”

Steve’s grin did things to Tony, especially when it was directed at him. “Sorry.”

This was where Tony would’ve shot him a charming smile and maybe tilt his head to show he was forgiven, but all he managed to do was grunt. Very attractive.

“I gotta get back to work.”

“Have you eaten at least?”

“I have. You should go do the same.” Subtle way of asking him to leave you alone, Tony.

Steve was nodding slightly too much. “Good idea. See you later?”

“Sure.” If Tony could manage to actually hold a proper conversation again.

“That was painful,” Clint said when Tony rounded the corner, his voice coming from above.

Tony gave the ceiling an unimpressed look. “Spying again, Barton?”

“That’s kind of my job.”

“If you want to spend all day chilling in the vents I’m not gonna stop you, but you should at least show some decency toward the person who is letting you stay here.”

“Is that a threat, Stark? And here I thought we had a connection.”

So Tony didn’t flirt when he was agitated. Good to know.

Bruce was nowhere to be found when Tony entered the lab, and he assumed the guy had allowed himself to sleep in for once. It suited him well that morning. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to ponder over things or try to get his mind off of them, and he figured having someone hovering above him asking what was wrong wouldn’t exactly help anyway.

He poured himself a cup of coffee (the day he’d installed a coffee machine down here had been life changing) and settled down at his desk. But it didn’t matter how busy his hands were. His mind was, without fail, stuck on Steve Rogers.

* * *

 

The worst moment of Tony’s life occurred at noon on a Saturday. He’d been sitting with the team, sans Steve, when Steve himself had entered the room and Tony had cut himself off mid-sentence and had been unable to continue. It didn’t matter how much the others kept urging him on. He stuttered out something lame and then promptly fell silent, but he didn’t miss the way they all, sans Steve, kept sending him amused looks.

He didn’t miss how they all, sans Steve, knew exactly what was going on with him.

* * *

 

Thor looked good that day. Tony couldn’t deny that. The God had been off for a few weeks, but had returned to bless them with his presence, and Tony had to admit he was glad for it.

“Enjoying the view?” Natasha asked him, and Tony shot her a grin.

“Of course.”

“When I asked you the same thing when you were ogling Steve the other day you blushed your head off.”

His grin faltered. “Because the serum gives Steve superhearing and he could probably hear you.”

“I bet you anything that so can Thor.”

When had he started getting into the habit of talking about boys with Natasha Romanoff?

Tony averted his eyes, refusing to look at either her or Thor. “Always spoiling my fun.”

“More like trying to get you to realize a couple of things.”

“I am very much aware of things.”

“So act like it.”

“What are you guys talking about?”

Why did Steve insist on appearing during the absolute worst times?

“Nothing,” Tony said, feeling guilty for the way his voice hardened. But he couldn’t help it. It was either that or babble on like a fool, and he wasn’t about to give Nat that blackmail material.

“We were bonding over how good Thor looks today,” Natasha said casually. “Don’t you agree, Steve?”

Steve sat down on Tony’s other side on the couch, shooting Thor, who was fiddling with something across the quite big room, a glance. “I can see it, but I feel sort of weird objectifying him like that.”

“Always so pure,” Nat said, standing. “I’ll go talk to him, since neither of you probably will. He looks lonely.”

They watched her prance over to the God, who seemed happy for the company. Tony wasn’t stupid. He knew she’d left so that Tony could be alone with Steve, and he had quite mixed feelings about it.

“Since when are you into Thor?” Steve had tried to sound nonchalant, but Tony could sense something in his voice that he couldn’t entirely identify.

He turned toward him as curiosity gripped him. “I’m not, but I can appreciate the view. Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you asking?”

“Just wondering. I literally interrupted the conversation, after all.”

Tony hummed. For once Steve seemed to be the more nervous one, and Tony was enjoying it more than he should. “Jealous?”

Steve let out a laugh that didn’t sound real enough to be, well, real. “Of course. I want you guys swooning over me.”

“We probably have been once or twice, so I wouldn’t worry.” Why was he treading waters he knew were dangerous enough to drown him?

Steve tilted his head, but Tony didn’t miss the way his ears started coloring. “Is that so?”

Stupid irresistible super soldier. “Uh huh.”

“Interesting.”

“I mean, have you seen yourself?”

Steve laughed again, and this time it was genuine. “Don’t give me a big head.”

“I bet that would look good on you as well.”

Steve licked his lips. “There it is.”

“What?”

“The flirting you apparently keep doing.”

Great. Steve thought he was just playing when Tony had literally leapt off of a cliff in order to even attempt this.

Tony crossed his arms. “Better than blathering on like an idiot.”

“Didn’t I tell you I liked it?”

“If I remember correctly you used the word endearing.”

“Maybe I found that to be more accurate.”

Was Steve flirting back? Or was he just humoring him, since he apparently didn’t think this meant anything?

Tony would never find out, because in that moment the roof caved in and Clint came tumbling down onto them, but fortunately Steve took most of the impact, which he literally just brushed off a second later.

* * *

 

“You all right?”

Tony was standing on a ladder that was tall enough so that a gust of wind could knock him down, his arms aching from having kept them up for so long as he was repairing the roof. It was a simple but time-consuming job, and he didn’t see any reason to hire someone to fix it. He needed the distraction anyway.

He turned and saw Steve looking up at him. He hadn’t heard him come in.

“I’m fine? I mean, wait, why are you asking?”

Steve shrugged. “You look deep in thought, but I can see your frown all the way from here. I just wanted to make sure.”

Tony dragged his gaze back to the ceiling. “I’m just concentrating.”

“Right.”

“I’ll, uh, be down in a sec,” he said. He could use the break anyway.

It was fortunate that Steve was standing so close, because as Tony climbed down he managed to slip on the fifth to last step and felt himself falling. He’d had worse, but it was still terrifying enough to draw out a yell. Steve caught him easily, but when Tony looked up at him he looked as shocked as Tony felt.

“Easy,” he breathed out, and Tony could only manage a shaky laugh.

“My knight in shining armor,” Tony said as Steve helped him to his feet.

“It was my fault.”

“How exactly was that your fault?”

“I distracted you.”

That was true. Apparently his mouth wasn’t the only part of him that didn’t know what to do with itself when Steve was around, but he would be damned to let Steve know that.

“I just got impatient on the last steps,” he explained. “Eager to be on solid ground.”

“That’s a first.”

“It’s different without the suit. Nat wouldn’t justify me using it to fix the ceiling.”

“I still think Clint should’ve been the one to fix it.”

“And ruin the rest of the Tower? No way.”

“You give him too much credit.”

“Hm?”

“He’d never be able to ruin a whole Tower.”

Tony grinned. “Better safe than sorry.”

Steve smiled back, brightly and hugely and so very beautifully.

Tony swallowed. “I should-”

“Go back to work?”

“I’m that predictable, huh?”

“I would almost suspect you’re using it as an excuse to get away from me if I didn’t know what a workaholic you actually are.”

Tony shifted his weight to his other foot. “I would never want to get away from you.”

“That’s good to know.”

If Tony wasn’t Tony, and if Steve wasn’t Steve, he might’ve leant over and kissed him, and maybe Steve would’ve kissed him back. But he didn’t do that, so he had no way of knowing. Instead, he wiped his forehead on the back of his hand and looked up at his half-finished work. He suddenly felt more tired than he could explain.

“You think this place will fall apart if I finish that later?”

“Is Tony Stark thinking of taking a break?”

“Hah. Better start believing in miracles.”

“I’ve always believed in them.” Steve licked his lips, and Tony had a feeling he was biding his time. “And ever since meeting you? I believe in them more than ever.”

Even though he wasn’t sure if Steve was merely speaking about his intellect or ability to survive the cave or what, Tony felt his face heat up, and he was one hundred percent certain it was visible from outer space.

“You- wait, w-what?”

Steve’s smile was back, although it was laced with nerves. “You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“Stuttering out incoherent sentences. Being endearing.” He’d added the last part like an afterthought.

Tony crossed his arms. “You think I’m endearing?”

He was enjoying Steve’s faint blush more than he probably should. “Yes.”

“And you think I’m a miracle?”

“If you saw yourself the way I do, you’d think so too.”

So here they were, both of them red-faced and nervous and Tony attempting to form words without sounding like a fool while taking in Steve’s words. Steve’s confession. He could barely believe he’d heard him correctly.

“I like you,” Tony blurted out. “Might as well get it out there.”

Steve inhaled sharply, and Tony managed to plan a whole escape route before he said, “I like you, too.”

“You do?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to say this entire time.”

“I didn’t dare to believe.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t apologize. I’m the one who keeps running away instead of facing my feelings.”

Steve’s mouth quirked. “So you have been using work as an excuse to get away from me?”

“Mostly to avoid acting like a fool, though I guess I haven’t been too successful.”

“I like it when you act that way. It makes me feel like I’m not the only one who doesn’t know what he’s doing.” He took a step closer, and Tony’s heart almost stopped completely. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” He couldn’t even cringe at how breathless he’d sounded.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yes. Please.” Please, please, please.

Steve smiled and did.

* * *

 

“Now I know why you haven’t been flirting with me.”

Tony glanced up at Steve from where he was perched in his arms. “Oh yeah?”

Steve’s grin melted into a smirk. “You’re absolutely hopeless at romance.”

“I got you in bed, didn’t I?”

“Not the point.”

Tony hummed. “So what  _is_  the point?”

“You have no idea how to act around someone you’re actually interested in, and it’s-”

“If you say endearing one more time I’m gonna tickle you.”

Steve barked out a laugh. “Adorable?”

“Not better, but I digress.” He shifted a bit so that he could see Steve more clearly. “How long have  _you_  been trying to get your point across?”

“Too long.”

“You’re no better at romance, then.”

“Never said I was.”

Tony reached out to run his fingers through his hair. “This is too good to be real.”

“It’s very real, though I hope this doesn’t mean you’ll stop getting flustered enough to make zero sense.”

“If you’d seen yourself you would know the answer to that.”

“Which is?”

“No. I probably won’t stop.”

“Good.”

“You’re kinda cruel.”

Steve leaned in and Tony met him halfway and forgot what they were talking about immediately.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://thesoundofnat.tumblr.com/).


End file.
